From Days Gone By
by the asianette
Summary: On the shores of the Fire nation there lay many memories. Most of all is the almost forgotten haunting of a young innocent love that was never broken. But leaving your heart in memoirs can result in finding it in the most unlikely of places. ZukoxOC
1. Say You Remember

From Days Gone By

hehe..this is my first fic EVER..so im really sorry if it's bad..but please read it anyways.

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar of any of its characters. But I own Aya..puahahaha

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Chapter 1: Say You Remember

Back when Prince Zuko was young, he used to visit his uncle every summer and play along the beautiful beaches. He had some of the best years of his life in those sands. His uncle would teach him many things about the beach, things that his father never had the time to talk to young Zuko about. Each summer he would come back home full of joy and with new discoveries that he found on those white sands. For him, those days were carefree, happy, and so long ago.

It was a warm, sunny morning and a young, 7 year old Prince Zuko was strutting around the secluded private beach outside his uncle's summerhouse. Just as he was about to sit down, he noticed a small figure farther down the beach. It reached down and seemed to be picking up something.

"Hey! HEY!" Zuko called towards the figure. But to no avail. The person continued to walk along the shore, ever nearing Zuko. Already slightly irritated, he ran towards the figure, stopping to catch his breath about 3 feet away.

"Did you not hear me calling to you?" the ever-arrogant Zuko asked to the stooping figure he now recognized to be a girl, considering the long hair. The young girl maintained her silence, concentrating on whatever she was doing.

"I _said_ did you not hear me? This is a private beach and you're trespassing." He snapped, flames flaring slightly at his wrists. This time, the young girl turned, flipping her hair back away from her face. She looked up at him with large, chocolate brown eyes that pierced through his yellow ones.

" I heard you."

" Then why didn't you answer to me?" Zuko's voice was now more confused than frustrated. No one had ever purposely ignored him before.

" I was busy." She said plainly, not removing her fixating stare.

" With _what_?"

" I'm digging up clams." Came her simple answer.

" What makes you think you can dig up clams on MY beach? Give me that bucket. Those clams belong to me since you've been stealing from my beach." Zuko said smugly.

" You own the beach?" the young girl asked, incredulous.

" Yes, and many other things" Zuko replied absently. " You still haven't given me those yet".

"What?"

" Those clams. The clams you stole from MY beach, little girl."

"No way am I giving these to you. Don't call me 'little girl' I have a name, you know. And we're about the same age" the girl stated, obviously annoyed.

" I'll call you whatever I wish, _little girl_" Zuko sneered.

The girl stood up and brushed sand off her knees. Zuko finally got a proper look at her. She was half a head shorter than him, thin with dark brown hair a few inches past her shoulders. Her back was straight and she wore a red tank top with a long black skirt. She was more cute than pretty with her full lips and small nose.

" My name is Aya, _little boy_", She said, imitating Zuko's demeaning tone, " and I would like it if you stopped being so stupid and learn to be nice"

Zuko narrowed his eyes. Anger surged through him and flames flared at his wrists. No one dared to mock him back at home, much less talk to him in a less than respectful tone.

" I AM NOT LITTLE! IF ANYONE IS LITTLE IT'S YOU! DON'T EVER TALK TO ME IN THAT TONE AGAIN!"

" WELL YOU WON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT CAUSE I'M LEAVING RIGHT NOW!"

And with that Aya stomped off in the opposite direction, stopping a few steps away to hurl a clam at Zuko's shocked face.

" THERE'S THE CLAM THAT I _STOLE_ FROM YOU!" she snapped as the dark shell bounced off Zuko's forehead. She then sharply turned and continued to tread heavily in the opposite direction. Leaving a shocked and angry Zuko who was rubbing his head.

The next day, the young Prince Zuko was playing on the beach again, making piles in the sand. He was so intent on his work, trying to make one big tower of sand, that he didn't even notice the girl from yesterday stationed a few feet away from him until she was directly in front of him, scooping up seawater with her bucket. His eyes followed her to where she was making her own sandcastle, wetting the sand and pressing it together until it was up to her mid-thigh. He looked back at his own tower, which was barely 5 inches tall, then back at her impressive one. Although he tried to ignore the curious feeling inside of him, he eventually couldn't take it anymore. He stood up and dusted sand off of him and walked slowly towards the young girl.

" Can you p-p-ple-please show me h-how to do that?" He stammered and looked away quickly, finding it difficult asking the very girl he had just screamed at 24 hours ago to help him. Zuko waited for her answer. She slowly turned her head to answer him. For a moment, he thought she looked like she was going to scream at him again. But she didn't. Her face softened to a slight smile.

" Sure."

They spent the rest of the day building the most extravagant sand sculptures, with her lecturing him and giving tips every now and then. His temper flared every now and then, but she ignored it. They were young. Sandcastles were important. And as the sun began to sink from the sky, Aya stood up and started to walk away.

" Wait! Will you be here tomorrow?" Zuko shouted after her.

" Maybe." Aya replied without turning around.

The next day she was back. As Zuko walked up to the shore, he saw her sitting, watching the tides with her knees up to her chest. He approached her slowly but she must have sensed his presence because she turned around and gave him a pleasant smile. The young prince was taken aback; the smile was so open, so real. Up until then, the few smiles he had gotten were either clearly forced, or seemed to be covering up something.

" Is there something on my face?" Her voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

" What? Oh, no its fine." Zuko replied absently. She gave him a curious stare and cocked her head. After about 3 seconds, she jumped up and put her hand on his shoulder, pulling it back as if she had just touched something extremely hot.

" What was that for?" The prince inquired.

" TAG! You're it. Catch me if you can!" She laughed, bolting out towards the water. Zuko stood there, not moving for a few moments, a what-just-happened look on his face. Then he sprinted after her. The prince never turned down a challenge.

They frolicked around in the water for hours, splashing at each other and laughing. They even had a contest over who could hold their breath the longest. The sun was just past the middle of the sky when they walked back to the sands, panting with their eyes full of delight.

" I'm tired. So I'm gonna lay down for a while okay?" Aya said sleepily. She then squeezed the salt water out of her hair and pushed it behind her as she laid down on the sand. She was sound asleep soon. Zuko sat there silently, staring at her for the longest time. Noticing how the wind picked up few strands of dry hair and made then dance around her face. Suddenly realizing just how much earlier events had worn him out, he laid down beside her and shut his eyes. Some hours later, the tide brushed against their feet and caused them to stir. Aya blearily opened her eyes, and then sat up abruptly. The sun was setting, and she needed to get back home.

" I need to go now, Zuko," She whispered to him as she stood up. He slowly turned over to face her and looked straight into her eyes.

" You'll be here again tomorrow?"

" Yeah."

She gave him one last smile, and then ran down the sides of the beach.

The two of them played together everyday on those white sands formore thana week. They laughed, had fights, and made up new games. Zuko never felt so happy in his entire 7 years in existence. Nothing else really mattered at the time, he pushedall other thoughtsto the back of his mind, and concentrated on having the most fun he possibly could.

Seven days after theirfirst encounter, they were playing in the waterswhen Aya spotted a something and swam towards it.

" Look Zuko! Isn't it pretty?" Aya exclaimed while Zuko rolled his eyes and muttered something about girls. As he looked down, apparently not caring about whatever was 'pretty' he heard a scream rip through the air. His head snapped up just in time to seeAya collapse in the water.

" Aya? AYA!" Zuko panicked as he felt beneath the water for her. Luckily, the water was shallow and it wasn't very hard for Zuko to drag her back up to dry land.

" HELP! SOMEONE! HELP!" He yelled into the air, his heart beating a tattoo against his chest as he looked around.

Seconds later, a rather beefy man raced up to them.

" You children okay?" He spoke with concern in his voice. Zuko glanced up at him and then reverted his attention back to Aya.

" No, I don't know what happened, but she just …" Zuko's voice trailed off as he noticed red markings on her shoulder. He cocked his head and stared more intently. It looked like three squiggly lines.

" Hey, those are some bad stings on her shoulder there", the older man's voice interrupting his contemplations, "I'd better take her to the medicine man in the village before they get worse." He picked her up gently and started to walk away.

" She's going to be fine, right?" Zuko asked, hoping to ease the feeling of dread in his stomach.

" Dunno. Judging by that blue tinge in her lips, it may already be…" He paused, "well son just don't get your hopes up. If she does wake up, I promise the first thing I'll do is remind her that there's a little boy waiting for her on the beach." He smiled a toothy smile, and turned to carry her toward the village further down the beach. Zuko stood somberly, watching them go, and made a promise to wait for her return.

She never came back.

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Sorry if that was fragmented and short and/or confusing. I wanted this to be a prequel, kinda. So the next chapter will take place when Zuko is 17. Thank you for reading! I appreciate any comments you have about it. But please please please don't flame me. 


	2. Count The Days

Yes, I finished chapter two. I know, I know. It's relatively short, but i couldn't make a connection from the end of this chapter to what i had in mind for the rest of the story. I promise the next one will be longer and better. Oh, and i'd like to thank everyone who gave me those wonderful reviews. You guys are great, and I appreciate that you took the time to read my story.

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Chapter 2: Count the Days

Aboard a rocking fire nation ship, seventeen-year-old Prince Zuko was tumbling his way into a restless sleep. It wasn't the constant motion of the ship that prevented him from slumber; it was his dreams. Zuko did not have many happy memories; most of his experiences in life ranged and proceeded from bad to worse. But it was not those times that now preoccupied his thoughts; it was accounts from a time long before that. Back when his days were filled with sunshine and laughter. He had a scattering of indistinct images from that summer spent on his uncle's private beach. The setting sun, sandcastles, clams, and a dark haired girl whose only features he could make out was those piercing eyes, and a smile unlike any other.

His dream sequence played those images over and over again along with muffled sounds of turning tides, and…laughter? A new sound took over- a scream that shot through him. And a feeling-fear-it suddenly gripped his mind and he jerked violently awake.

Prince Zuko sat up in his bed, wiping cold sweat from his forehead. Deciding the only way to relieve himself was meditation, he walked to the other side of his room, lit the proper candles and sat down. As he slowly drew in his breath, his mind drifted off once more to the very recollections that stalked his sleep. It had been this way for days now, images from when he was very young would be replayed in his dream state, then that scream would send those joyful memories spiraling downward, and he would jerk awake. Zuko was sick of it. The lack of sleep had taken its toll on him, he was more irritated than usual, less coordinated in his training, and worst of all, he had developed a constant empty feeling inside of him. Frustrated with everything, he exhaled and shut his eyes tightly, determined to find a center of peace. But his thoughts kept leading him back to that stretch of shore. That girl-he could no longer recall her name but he knew that somehow, she had given him something of the childhood innocence that he felt so deprived of. And try as he might, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had forgotten something very, very important. _Click_.

Zuko snapped out of his reverie and whipped a flame-ball at the opened door, nearly maiming a timid messenger boy. The prince stood up, walked over, and gave the best sleepy-intimidating stare he could muster to the small boy.

"Why did you disturb me?" He spoke slowly, warning in his voice. The boy squeaked and looked down, mumbling something.

" Speak up, I don't identify with gibberish." The irritable prince snapped.

" Sir, y-your Uncle wishes to speak with you."

Zuko blinked; what could his uncle possibly want with him at this hour? Nevertheless, he hid his curiosity, slipped a shirt on,and followed the boy to Iroh's quarters. Once inside, the boy bowed to his uncle and left, shutting the door lightly. Zuko turned his attention towards his Uncle, who was…sipping tea.

" What Uncle? Why have you called me here? Is there news about the Avatar?" Zuko demanded.

" Ah, young Prince, you are too hurried about life. Come sit down and relax; drink tea with me." Iroh spoke patiently as he gestured with his arm for Zuko to sit down.

" If it isn't about the Avatar then you shouldn't have disturbed me. Next time you want some company, go ask one of the soldiers instead of bothering my sleep." Zuko snapped, turning to walk out the door.

" It's not like you were sleeping anyways."

Zuko whirled around and stared at his uncle, who was looking at him pointedly. His jaw twitched as thoughts reeled around his head. His uncle couldn't have known about the dreams, could he? Had he screamed something in his sleep? Was his behavior different? Well, truth to be told, it was. But he hadn't thought it was so much of a change that his tea-obsessed uncle would notice. Was he thinking too loudly? His inward panic was momentarily cut through by a sigh from Iroh.

" Well nephew, if you must know, your father has sent me a letter." Iroh said as he pulled out the roll of parchment and waved it around. Zuko frowned and looked away. He had had enough of the letters that Lord Ozai sent to his uncle periodically. When he was first banished he looked forward to letters from his father, always hoping that somehow his honor was restored and he would be allowed to return home. But he had gotten none of that in the past three years. On top of recent things, he didn't need or want the disappointment.

" He wants you to come home." Uncle Iroh said half-smiling. It was like he had known those were there exact words Zuko both dreaded and hoped. Zuko mechanically turned his head to stare once again at Iroh. His mouth opened slightly and his eyes were glassy as he slowly moved toward his uncle; finally sort of falling into the chair opposite Iroh.

" Do not act so surprised nephew. It's been three years at sea, the natural thing is that your father would wish to see you."

Zuko remained in his frozen state of shock. Then he suddenly looked up and narrowed his eyes at Iroh.

" Are you playing with my head Uncle? Do you think it's funny? How can Father possibly want me back after all these years? How can you expect me to BELIEVE this?" Zuko spoke accusingly as he slammed a fist on the table in frustration.

" IF you do not believe me, look for yourself." His uncle gently tossed the letter to Zuko who grabbed it. He unrolled ferociously and scanned down the length of the page. Sure enough, it said plainly that Lord Ozai wished for his son to return to the Fire Nation.

" But, WHY? I have not done anything wondrous or heroic. The Avatar is still at large. I've been at sea for three years now," Zuko stared at the tea as he voiced the very thing he had wanted to deny for so long, " And if there's anything I've accomplished, it's shaming my country even more."

" Zuko, do you not remember? Your seventeenth birthday has just recently passed."

" Of course I remember." Zuko said quietly. He had spent the entire day locked up in his room. That day was simply a harsh reminder of how pathetic his existence was. And it was that night when he had begun to remember his past. " It doesn't make sense Uncle, why on my seventeenth birthday? I've had other birthdays since I left, why this one?"

" Think, nephew. What usually happens after the seventeenth birthday of a boy?"

" He finally becomes a man in the eyes of the Fire Nation?" Zuko questioned, obviously clueless.

" Yes Zuko, but there is also another thing."

" Like WHAT? Tell me Uncle!" The prince demanded.

" He can be legally married." Iroh stated matter-of-factly. " Your father wishes you to choose a bride."

" SAY WHAT?"

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a/n: Again, sorry for the short chapter, and if it sounded a bit rushed. The good parts are yet to come. Please continue to read my story. I also appreciate any comments you may have. Again, please please please don't flame me.


	3. Forgot About Me

I finally finished chapter 3. I'm sorry i had to keep you guys waiting. This one took a longer time. The thing is, this past week i've had tests every single day so i had no time to write. Gah. I hope you guys enjoy it. And thank you everyone who reviewed my story. You guys are the best.

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Chapter 3: Forgot About Me

" Zuko, you must get some rest. We will dock in a few hours, do you wish for the entire nation to see you in this state?" Iroh questioned.

The exhausted prince looked up. Dark circles surrounded his eyes and his ponytail was askew. He had spent the last 24 hours deep in thought, refusing food and sleep.

" A _bride_? Must I get married? Are you sure that is the only reason that father wishes me to return?" Zuko asked desperately. He knew how whiny he sounded, but it didn't matter. He had to get MARRIED for heaven's sake. The very idea of it sent jitters down his spine.

" Zuko, would I lie about such a matter?" His uncle said wearily. The prince remained silent and brooding. " If you're not going to sleep, then at least fix yourself up."

" I'm going to bed." Said Zuko with a half-dead stare. He stalked out of the room.

_I do hope he finds someone; the boy doesn't deserve to live the rest of his life in this state._ Iroh thought as he sipped his tea.

Zuko slammed the door closed after he entered his quarters. He snapped his fingers and a few candles lit up, flooding the room with light. The prince then fell back onto his bed and rubbed his temples, eyes closed. He couldn't believe that his father expected him to wed. He'd journeyed around the world for 3 years in order to gain Ozai's approval, and yet the only reason his father wants his son back is for him to be forcefully bonded with some woman. And who was to say that he might even at the least be able to stand her? A fleeting thought of getting rid of the woman after he was married crossed his mind but no, his father would banish him again if he were to commit something of that sort. Anything was better than the loss of his honor all over again.

Prince Zuko began to ease into sleep, only to be disturbed by remnants of his past again. The images were clearer now; he could make out a tall sandcastle he himself was building, with the nameless girl. The waves were gently sliding in over the sand. He felt a knot in his stomach. The girl was sitting in front of him; she slowly turned around and gave him an open smile-one of pure joy and innocence. Her features were more prominent now, and just his dream view was nearing her, he woke up.

" Damn it!" He cursed, throwing a bolt of fire at the ceiling, leaving an ashen scorch mark. Part of him was angry that he was even thinking of her again, it was like there was no escape from it. On the other hand, he was annoyed that his dream stopped before he could see her clearly.

" Prince Zuko!" Uncle's voice rang through the door, " We are docking in a matter of minutes."

Zuko sat upright as soon as he heard his uncle's footsteps fading into the distance. He pulled on a clean shirt so roughly he almost tore the seams. But it didn't matter. He would have worn it even it had been torn. What was the point anyways? Zuko thought as he fixed his ponytail. Those girls wouldn't care what he looked like, as long as they became royalty.

A few minutes later he was standing on the deck of the warship. The sun beat down on his neck as he waited for the front of the ship to be lowered into a ramp. Zuko shut his eyes and took a deep breath. He tried to not let the prospect of marriage taint the joy of finally being able to come home. The front of the ship fell down, creating a small wave of dirt. As the formerly banished prince walked confidently down the ramp, cheers of ' Welcome back Prince Zuko!' rang in his ears. He smirked and led his group of fire benders down the pathway cleared for them.

Half an hour later:

"What do you mean I have to go meet girls?" Zuko said, bewildered. " Doesn't father want to come and speak with me? Don't we go up to the palace first?"

"You're father is away on business," Iroh explained as Zuko looked down, trying to hide his disappointment. " And we are unable to find a carriage for the journey to the palace. I'm afraid we will be sleeping around here tonight."

" But why do I have to see girls right now?"

" Zuko, you know why. Your father brought you home to find a bride. He expects you to be married soon." Uncle Iroh said matter-of-factly. " Now come young prince, the girls are waiting."

The prince was livid all the way to the site where the village girls were. They were standing in a huddled group beside a large gazebo. A wave of uncontrollable giggles passed through them as they spotted Zuko. _Girls and their ridiculous feminine madness_, Zuko thought. He looked pleadingly at his uncle, hoping that Iroh would take him somewhere, anywhere away from here. But Iroh just smiled brightly and gently pushed Zuko toward the mass of females.

" Don't be shy, ladies. He's not as mean or tough as he looks." Iroh cheerfully said. The girls giggled again. Zuko shot him a dirty look. " I'll be back later Prince Zuko. Play nice!"

Flames flared at his wrists as Zuko stared after the former general's back. Gasps emerged from behind him. He turned around to see the group of girls staring at his flaming wrists. Zuko rolled his eyes; he was becoming more and more annoyed at the thought of marrying by the second.

" Does that hurt?" A young girl with short black hair asked. She had her hands up to her face and was staring at the flames. Obviously fire bending was not a common sight for her.

"No. Of course not." Zuko said, confused by the girl's question. Fire benders roamed the village, how could she not have seen bending before? The girl laughed nervously. Pretty soon, they were crowding around him, asking questions about his journeys…and his scar. And then they moved onto the subject of royal treatment. They bombarded him with questions about everything from how the food tasted to the number of personal servants. Zuko forced himself to remain calm. It took all of his self-control to keep from burning all these hysterical women and leaving. Just then, a movement caught Zuko's eye.

A girl, completely detached from the lecherous mob that surrounded him, was walking toward a well a couple of yards away from him. She was wearing a knee-length black skirt with a red top. Her hair flowed all the way down to her hips. Zuko was about to dismiss her from his mind when she did something that sent a strange feeling through him. She had pushed her hair back from her face and hooked it behind her ear. He didn't know why that caught his interest; the girls around him had been doing that for the past hour. But the movements, they seemed, familiar in some strange way. She suddenly stiffened slightly.

Zuko's eyes were instantly locked in hers. The chocolate brown eyes bore into him, his stomach flipped, and worldly sounds were muted. The two stood yards apart, immobile. It seemed to Zuko that no one but the girl was there, the girl with those eyes that bored into him, with that strange hair flip that somehow was familiar. He took a step forward, and was rudely pulled from the trance by none other than his uncle Iroh.

" Come Zuko, there is a question about your items aboard the ship."

" Alright Uncle."

Zuko turned around one more time to look back at the girl as he allowed himself to be dragged off by Iroh. She was still staring at him, a slight frown on her face.

" So Prince Zuko, did you find any of those young ladies to your liking?" Iroh's voice once again cut off Zuko's reverie.

" What? Oh, um, no." said Zuko absently.

" Zuko, you must find a bride soon, or risk banishment yet again."

" I know that." The irritable prince snapped

" And of course, you can't deny that you need some woman's affection." Iroh added, looking sidelong at Zuko.

" I do NOT need any woman's affection!" Zuko replied hotly.

Three hours later:

Amaya sat at the end of the luxurious bed, staring out the window. She looked longingly at the night sky, wishing she could get out of the room. But she couldn't. The guards had told her specifically to stay, or else. She gulped, not wanting to think about what 'or else' was. Falling back onto the bed, she contemplated more about her situation. The only positive thing that came to her mind was the thought that her parents were away on business, so they wouldn't be finding out she was gone. Amaya closed her eyes and tried to sleep.

Meanwhile:

" That was a waste of time, Uncle."

" I thought you wanted a break from the girls." Replied Iroh with a raised eyebrow.

" I did, but making me label every single item of my belongings wasn't the type of break I had in mind." Said Zuko dryly.

" I sat there with you and helped"

" No Uncle, you sat there and drank tea."

Iroh shrugged. " Your room is upstairs, turn left and it's the first door."

" I know. You've told me a million times while I was labeling." Zuko said in an exasperated sigh as he ascended the stairs.

Sleep sounded extremely tempting to Zuko as he reached to top of the staircase. He turned left and opened the door.

" What the-" He broke off when he realized the girl was sleeping.

She was asleep on his bed. The one where he was supposed to be sleeping. She stirred, obviously from hearing Zuko outburst. She must have saw him as she blearily opened her eyes, because she gave a little yelp and sat bolt upright. As she looked up at his face, their eyes met.

" It's you." Zuko said as if he dared not to believe himself. He left his position at the door and started towards her. She sat at the edge, immobile. Zuko stopped a few inches away and stared down at her; she met his gaze with her own. They stayed like that for what seemed like forever. Zuko used the time to observe her face. She had large, chocolate brown eyes, full lips, and clear skin. He stopped there and voiced what had been nagging his mind.

" Who are you?" Zuko asked, thoroughly perplexed. She looked away from him at those words and stared out the window. The prince didn't bother to follow her gaze.

" Let's try that again. My name is Zuko, prince of the fire nation. And you are?" Said Zuko growing irritable. Her eyes snapped back to his.

" Amaya. What do you want Zuko?" She spat. The prince raised an eyebrow. None of the girls earlier talked to him like that. But never mind that, what was she doing here? Zuko racked his mind and came to an answer-Uncle Iroh. He gritted his teeth and cursed the former general in his mind.

" Listen you woman, I didn't bring you here, my interfering uncle did." Zuko started, his hotheadedness getting the best of him.

And right on cue, Uncle Iroh appeared in the doorway.

" Ah, Zuko I see you've found our charming guest. She will be staying in your room tonight and accompanying us on the trip to the palace tomorrow. Think of her as your new…. room-mate." Iroh finished thoughtfully.

" Excuse me?" Zuko and Amaya said simultaneously.

" Zuko, don't bother trying to get rid of her, she's staying. And young miss, don't bother trying to run away. Now if you'll excuse me, an old man needs his beauty sleep." Uncle Iroh stated, stamping out all the ideas in the two teenager's heads.

Amaya looked horrified and disgusted, emotions the prince was too exhausted to show on his face. If he had not been so tired, Zuko would have run after his uncle demanding further explanation. But sleep had been kept at bay for too long. Without even bothering to change he laid down on the bed, causing Amaya to scoot off even though there was more than enough room. Zuko lazily propped himself up on a pillow to see where she was going. The girl sat down next to a large window that started from the floor and ended at the ceiling. She wrapped her arms around her legs and made no more sound or movement.

He fell asleep to the image of her staring out at the night sky.

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A/N: Does it sound too rushed? Fragmented? If it does I'm really really really really sorry. Again, I appreciate any comments you may have about it, and again, please do not flame me. I will explain Uncle Iroh's actions in the next chapter. I promise.


	4. Everything Inbetween

Okay, this chapter took a lot longer than planned. I had a massive case of writer's block to i didnt' work on it for about 4 days. But it turnedlonger than my other ones. So I hope you guys enjoy it. Oh, right, and I'd like to thank everyone that has reviewed my story you guys keep me writing.

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Chapter 4: Everything Inbetween

Amaya woke up the next day wondering why she was sweating. As soon as she opened her eyes, she got her answer. The sun was glaring down at her entire body, which was sprawled on the floor directly in front of a large window. She was beginning to wonder where the heck she was and why she was sleeping on the floor when last night's occurrences came creeping back to her. Still daring not to believe it she stood up and sure enough, the despicable prat of a prince was asleep on the huge bed. He was on his back with his arms and legs slightly out to the sides. Obviously Zuko had fallen asleep in a state of exhaustion. Amaya walked up next to the bed and observed him closely. Zuko's eyes were lightly shut, so lightly that it seemed the faintest breeze would lift them. His breaths were slow and his chest rose ever so slightly with each intake of air. _He looks so… peaceful, almost… cute. Lord, what am I thinking? It's the heat, it's been messing with my head. That's right, I should go take a bath and then get something to eat._ She thought to herself as she hurried out of the room.

Zuko watched her leave. Right after the door had shut behind her, he sat up and stretched. His dreams had woken him up again. And yet again, they were vague semblances of the childhood that seemed so far away. Indeterminate little things of trivial importance but nagged at his mind, night after night, as if they weighed something more than what they appeared to be.

Normally he would have thought more about it, but he had other issues on his mind. Amaya, he had fallen asleep to the image of her face lit by the stars, and he had woken up to her across the room looking at him. He would have, should have sat up and demanded what she was staring at. But at that moment she had chosen to walk over and look at him with an expression he could only label as thoughtful. Zuko had watched her through almost closed eyes, forcing his breathing and facial expression to be that of a sleeping person. And finally, she turned around and left. He couldn't help but wonder what it was about her that seemed so familiar and yet so alien to him. Sick of thinking, Zuko got up and off the bed to take a bath and change.

By the time he got to the breakfast table, Iroh and Amaya were already there. His Uncle was dressed in his usual attire and drinking tea. And Amaya was sitting with her hand on her lap, gazing out the window. As Zuko sat down across from her, she pushed a bowl of strawberries towards him.

" Eat. You'll need the energy." Said Amaya crisply. Her ribbons danced around her dark hair from the movement.

" What're you, my nanny?" Zuko retorted as he pushed the bowl back towards her. " I'll eat what I want."

Amaya, however, was staring pointedly at his uncle. Iroh shrugged and continued to sip his tea. She rolled her eyes in return, and continued to stare out the window.

" Do you do anything but stare outside?" Zuko sneered.

Amaya gave him a death glare, stood up, and left without a word. A few seconds later, she had come back again. She picked up a glass of water, hurled the contents at Zuko, and then stomped off in the opposite direction.

The short awkward silence in which Zuko was paralyzed with shock was cut short by Iroh's cackle. The soggy prince turned and fumed, causing the water to promptly turn into steam.

Iroh choked on his tea.

" Enough. Stop laughing Uncle." Zuko glared furiously at his chortling uncle.

" Ah," Iroh sighed, finally calm, " She has a fiery spirit, isn't it refreshing?"

" It's more of a nuisance." Zuko sat back and crossed his arms. " Which brings me to what I wanted to ask you last night, why are you forcing her on me uncle? Why her? What makes her so special?"

" You two seemed in a very interesting situation yesterday." Iroh said, pouring himself more tea.

" Situation?"

" Well, out of all the girls that were around you, the only one that actually seemed to catch your interest was her. You two seemed to be quite taken by each other. In fact, I do remember quite accurately that I had to drag you away from staring at her."

" So Uncle, if I stared at the Unagi long enough, you would force me to live with it too?" said Zuko sardonically.

" You must admit though, she is quite the beauty." Iroh smirked.

" What good is beauty when you're a vapid smart-mouth?"

" I see you're not going to change your opinion too soon. Well, you'd best get something to eat, we'll start training again in an hour."

" I want her out, Uncle!" Zuko irritably snapped.

" Training, Zuko!" said Iroh in a sing-song voice.

Meanwhile:

Amaya whipped past the villagers in a huff. _Oh yes, former general Iroh, I'll try to be nice to your insolent swine of a nephew! Really? He can be obnoxious and rude? I NEVER would have thought. _These thoughts ran through her as she continued to fume. Not caring about what will happen later, she ran past the huts to the only place she could think of- the beach.

Five hours later:

_Left, right, dodge, kick, and… spin? OOF!_ Zuko's last minute reservations had caused him to flail about awkwardly and land heavily on his bottom.

" Zuko, you are not concentrating, find your center of balance." Iroh criticized.

" Unh." Zuko grunted as he stood up, wiping dust off his butt.

" Tell you what, nephew, since your head is obviously elsewhere, would you mind fetching Amaya? The servants can't seem to find her anywhere."

" I mind." Muttered Zuko. " If she really wants to go, then let her. Not that it matters to me."

" She's coming with us to the palace Zuko, now go and find her." Iroh spoke, this time sternly.

" Fine." Said Zuko through gritted teeth. Arguing with his uncle was impossible. He might as well just grab the stupid wench and bring her back.

He looked throughout the tower they were staying in, he looked around the village, in the gardens, but she was nowhere to be found. _Dammit, where'd that wretched girl go? Agh. I don't have time for this. _

" Hey, you there." Zuko motioned at a nearby villager. " Have you seen a girl about so high, long hair with ribbons, bit of a temper…"

" Well I don't know sir, more than a few ladies fit into that category in this village, can you describe her face?" The young boy inquired.

" Erm, uh, well I guess she's decent-looking…" Zuko muttered.

" Could you be a bit more descriptive?" the youth asked.

" AGH! She has pale skin, no freckles whatsoever, full lips, and big brown eyes! Now just tell me where she is!" yelled Zuko, his temper flaring out of frustration.

" Just wondering Mister, but are you looking for your wife?"

" SHE. IS. NOT. MY. WIFE. NOW. TELL. ME. WHERE. SHE. IS."

Zuko had grabbed the boy's collar and lifted him clean off the ground. _I swear, if he doesn't know where that accursed woman is, I'll burn him alive._ The youth's frightened eyes darted back and forth between Zuko's golden ones.

" Y-you m-m-might wanna t-try in that d-direct-tion m-mister." Stammered the boy who raised his left arm and pointed towards the beach.

Zuko roughly dropped him and stomped off in the direction of the shore. He found her standing right in front of the waves. She had her eyes closed and was clearly enjoying the breezes.

" Why the hell are you here? I've been looking all over for you!" He snapped.

" I don't know, I guess I'm just waiting for something." Amaya replied dreamily with her eyes closed.

Zuko blinked. Her words had caught him off guard. He had expected her to spat some insult at him.

" You…ever get that feeling where you're missing something, something really important, but you can't remember what it is?" She continued as she opened her eyes and stared out into the water.

" N-no. I don't know what you mean." Zuko lied.

"Hm, that's too bad…"

" You're insane." Zuko said, shaking his head.

" Excuse me?"

Amaya's eyes snapped out of their half-glazed state and focused on Zuko's. _So she's come back to Earth_. Zuko thought.

" Look woman, my tea-infatuated Uncle wants me to bring you back. So just shut up and follow me, okay?"

" And if I don't?" She challenged, crossing her arms.

" Trust me, if I had my way, I would leave you here to rot." Zuko growled, " But Uncle insists."

Then in one quick motion he wrapped one arm around her waist and proceeded to drag her across the sands.

" Get your hands off of me!" Amaya screeched, trying to push his arm away, but his grip was solid.

" Don't worry, I'm taking a three-hour bath after this." Zuko smirked.

" You foul impudent dipshit! Put me down now!"

" You're getting on my nerves. I thought I told you to shut up." Zuko remarked, loosening his grip so that she could stand up straight.

" Just cause you TELL me to shut up doesn't mean I will. I don't have to do anything that you say." She hissed.

" Must you retaliate to everything? It's _dreadfully_ annoying."

" Speak for yourself." She wiggled slightly. " You're invading my personal space."

It was then that Zuko realized the physical situation they were actually in. The two of them were standing in the middle of the village, his arm practically crushing her against his chest, and somewhere in their squabbles their faces had gotten extremely close together. And although Amaya was obviously finding it difficult to breathe, the glint in her eyes told Zuko clearly that she cared more about the argument than choking to death.

" I really don't have time to argue with someone as meaningless as you. So shut your trap and come with me." Zuko said scornfully as he released his grip.

" Why?" said Amaya as she took in a deep breath.

" Because," Zuko seized her wrist, " Without you, my Uncle won't let me get on the carriage to the palace." He said through gritted teeth as he led her through the huts.

" Ow…that hurts…" She winced, trying to loosen his hand around her wrist.

" Good. Maybe the pain will keep you quiet."

Later:

" Do I dare ask what happened to you two?" Iroh said, as he observed them.

They stood before him, cheeks flushed and panting slightly. Amaya was rubbing her wrist and glaring at some random piece of grass, obviously determined not to look at the prince. Zuko, on the other hand, stood with his arms crossed, every now and then glancing at Amaya, whilst still retaining a murderous aura.

" We had to RUN because this wretched woman here was too caught up in her scruples." Zuko said scathingly.

" Caught up in SCRUPLES? You almost broke my arm you half-wit!" Amaya retorted fiercely.

" I wish I did! Then maybe you would learn to keep your mouth shut!"

" You jerk!"

" Wench!"

" I hate to interrupt you two but…" Iroh started.

" What?" They snapped simultaneously.

" The carriage is here." Iroh said placidly, motioning them to enter.

He held the door open and watched thoughtfully as Zuko pushed past Amaya and sat himself in a corner. Amaya followed and sat in the same row, as far away as possible. She then turned her head with a disgruntled look, avoiding all eye contact.

Iroh came in last, shutting the door behind him, and sitting the remaining row across from the two teenagers.

" Sir, are you ready to leave?" The driver whispered through the window beside Iroh's head.

" Yes, we are arriving at the palace at nightfall?"

" Correct sire." The driver nodded. " Sir, may I inquire who that young lady is? Does she belong to Prince Zuko?"

" Not exactly." Iroh replied quietly, looking sidelong at his two companions.

" They seem in quite a fit"

" Let's just call it… a lovers' dispute."

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Yep, that's chapter 4. I hope you liked it . Thatnk you for reading and please review my story. I really do appreciate all comments with the exceptions of flames haha. And I promise, the next chapter won't take as long. 


	5. Alluring Solitude

I'm back! Ooh I wanna thank all of my lovely reviewers for sticking to my story even though i haven't updated it in the longest of time! Okay guys, since it's been months (?), I feel like you need an explanation for my behavior. It was near the end of the school year ( i'm on summer break now) and i had exams ( btw i'm in 8th grade). So you can insert stress, anxiety, and procrasination in here. Yes, I know how lame of an excuse this is, but i get very caught up in school work. Gah well I promise that I'll be updating a lot more often since I'm on vacation now. Seriously. I do.

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Chapter 5: Alluring Solitude

The stars were the only source of light in the carriage. Zuko and Amaya had fallen asleep, unknowingly resting on each other for support. Iroh smiled fondly at the two. The tension between them had long faded, and they had felt comfortable enough to enter slumber. _Perhaps, if they are to carry on like this…they may be able to develop a bond…_ Iroh thought as he continued to observe them.

Amaya stirred, opened her eyes and blinked. She looked down, and then up.

" EEP!" She jerked backwards, causing the prince's head to fall forward onto the seat. Zuko groaned from the cushions. He propped himself up on one arm whilst rubbing the side of his head with the other.

" Ughhh…what?" Zuko blinked blearily at Amaya. Her eyes were wide, arms raised in a defensive position.

" What's wrong with you?" Zuko asked. But she continued to stare, a red tinge creeping its way past her shocked expression.

" I believe it's the realization that you two were sleeping on each other." Iroh suggested with a snide smile.

" Psh" Zuko rolled his eyes. " Like I would be able to fall asleep near _her_." He accented the last word as if it were a terrible insult.

" Then how do you explain your head falling into the cushion?" Iroh inquired, holding up a hand to silence Amaya, who had her mouth open, eyes narrowed, ready to engage in verbal conflict.

Silence.

" Exactly." Iroh smiled, " Now look, we've arrived."

Both Zuko and Amaya looked out their window, craning their necks past the gardens and orchards, to get a better view.

" It's just as I remember it." Zuko sighed, gazing at the ivory towers.

Minutes Later:

Amaya gasped as she entered through the main door, the inside, if possible, was even more extravagant than the outside. She looked around at the intricately carved metal furniture, the crystal knobs, detailed rugs, and many other things, all bearing the fire nation insignia.

" Close your mouth before you drool on the rug." Zuko remarked, brushing past her.

" Can't you ever be nice?" Amaya questioned, following him.

" Sure I can, just not to you."

"Yeah? And why is that?" She gave him a defiant glare.

" Cause you're as annoying as heck." He replied, walking faster.

She quickened her pace to keep up with him. " That's your excuse?"

" Excuse? No. That's my reason." Zuko said, starting up the marble staircase. " Why are you following me?"

Amaya shrugged, " I don't know where else I would go."

" How about to hell?" He sneered.

" You're despicable." She retorted fiercely.

But before Zuko could think of a smart reply, his uncle Iroh came into the scene holding, a cup of tea.

" Zuko, I'm glad I caught you. Listen, Amaya will be staying in your room."

" WHAT? WHY? There's at least a hundred rooms in the palace!" Zuko exploded.

" I'm well aware of that, Zuko." Iroh said as he sipped his tea.

" Well then why does she have to stay in _my_ room? Can't she stay with the servants or something?" He said irritably.

" You know what? He has a point, I can just sleep in an empty room." Amaya cut in, " Or better yet, you can let me go home."

" No Amaya, I'm afraid I can't let you do that. You're going to stay in Zuko's room, for now at the least, or until the servants can prepare you a room of your own." Iroh said sternly. " And you, Prince Zuko, will allow her."

" Fine." Zuko said through gritted teeth, knuckles white from clenching the banister to restrain his anger.

Amaya, who had been standing between the two firebenders, rolled her eyes and started to climb the stairs.

Zuko followed; jaw twitching from temper. _Does he derive some sort of inane pleasure from driving me against my will?_ He thought as he reached the top of the staircase.

" So, where's your room?" Amaya's voice sliced his thoughts.

He made no effort to answer; instead he pushed past her, and stalked off into the fire-lit hallway. After passing three metal doors, he stopped in front of the fourth one, unlatched the handle, and pushed it open. Zuko let out a small smile; it looked exactly the same as he left it. The servants had obviously done a good job of cleaning it, for, there was not a speck of dust on anything, it seemed as if he had never left. As if time itself had made an exception for that room, and decided not to take it through the years. He took a deep breath of the familiar cinnamon-musk scent.

" Feels nice to be home at last, doesn't it?" Amaya said softly.

" Well it-" Zuko stopped himself in mid-sentence, " Yeah, yeah it does feel nice."

She smiled up at him- a real smile. His head began to whirl; his eyes became blurry. Some vague images clouded his mind. A beach, sandcastles, and the ocean.

" See, you can be nice." She said, still smiling.

" You keep thinking that." He said finally. Then he shook his head.

The Next Morning:

Zuko wearily opened his sleep-fogged eyes, and looked around the room, wondering what woke him. After failing to find a source, he turned the blame towards his internal clock, and proceeded to rise from the bed. But as soon as he tried to turn over on his side, he found that he couldn't lift his left arm. He glanced over at his left and nearly jumped.

Amaya was asleep, and she was using his arm as a pillow.

Zuko quickly racked his mind of last night's events.

"_There's only one bed." said Amaya._

" _I see you've developed observational skills." Zuko said dryly._

_She chose to ignore that comment. " Does your Uncle really expect us to sleep…on the same bed?" _

" _Knowing his sick and twisted ways, yes. Why? You want to sleep on the floor? Cause if you do, I have absolutely no objection."_

" _How about we divide the bed in half?" She suggested suddenly._

" _Woman, you are not going to ruin my perfectly good bed, I haven't slept in it in years, and I intend to do so with it in one piece." _

" _Dolt, that's not what I meant, I mean like you sleep on one side, I sleep on the other. That way we don't have to make any contact."_

" _Whatever. I suppose a few feet is the farthest I can get from you at this state. Just make sure you stay on your side. I wouldn't want to catch any of your insanity."_

" _You make sure you stay on yours, I wouldn't want to catch any of you pig-headedness." She scowled._

_They stood glaring at each other for a few seconds, until Amaya broke the silence._

" _What am I supposed to wear to sleep?" _

_Zuko blinked._

" _How am I supposed to know? Wear that. It's what you wore last night."_

" _I can't wear this," She replied in an appalled voice. " It's uncomfortable." She finished as she pinched a section of her dress to show him._

" _Women…always have to be 'comfortable'. Always have to whine. When do they shut up?" Zuko muttered under his breath._

" _What was that?" Amaya asked sharply, eyes flashing._

_Normally he would have told her exactly what he had been saying. Partly because he didn't like her attitude at all. And partly because he enjoyed pissing her off. But not now, he was tired. It had been a long day, and in his eyes, she was the only obstacle between him, and a good long nap._

" _Just take one of my old robes." Zuko said wearily._

_He opened a drawer and pulled out a black silk robe and threw it at her. It hit her square in the face._

" _Nice reflexes." He sneered. Mocking her, that would be something he could do no matter how tired he got._

_She didn't say anything, just held it up to see if it was long enough._

" _Could you…not watch while I change?"_

" _Trust me, I never intended to." He replied as he turned around._

_Amaya blinked, she didn't know whether to be insulted or satisfied with his answer. _

_She decided to just pretend as if it never happened. After she slipped on the robe, she turned around and saw that Zuko had changed too. He was shirtless, her eyes ran over his chiseled abs, taking in every inch. That's enough, she thought as she mentally slapped herself. But somehow Amaya found herself unwillingly impressed._

_Neither of them spoke to each other again as they took separate sides of the bed and went to sleep._

Zuko gave a sigh of relief. Nothing had happened between them. Well, nothing more than a few random quarrels.

He looked down at Amaya's sleeping figure. A few strands of her long hair rested on her face, moving along with her breath. He brushed them away with his free hand. Then suddenly jerked his hand away from her face. _What am I doing?_ He questioned himself.

At the sudden flurry of movement, Amaya was apparently jostled awake. As she lay still, stiff as a board, staring at a half-naked Zuko who was inches away from being in a very suggestive position, all thoughts seemed to disappear from her mind.

" Wh-what?" was all Amaya could utter.

" You were sleeping on my arm." Zuko said in a clipped tone, avoiding her eyes.

" Oh…I'm sorry." Amaya replied, sitting up awkwardly.

" Great, now it's asleep." He muttered as he slid off of the bed.

Amaya was left there alone in the room, wondering exactly what had happened.

A Few Hours Later:

_A fine way to be woken up, his overruling pigheadedness hovering over me_. Amaya thought as she plucked a random leaf off a hedge. It was her first day in the palace, and Iroh had been kind enough to show her the way into the gardens. At least, one of them. At one point during her walk she had decided that it would take at least 6 months to explore every single one of the 17 massive gardens surrounding the palace.

But now she was thinking of only Zuko. Prince Zuko the brat. At this point, she would do anything to escape this prison that Iroh was keeping both her and the pinhead in. Zuko was like a wet cat in a very small cage. Angry, messed up, hissing, and prone to biting.

And yet, and yet she had still found him intriguing. At least, more intriguing than any other boy in her life. There was just something, about him that was so different. Maybe it was the way he carried himself, maybe it was the way he talked, or maybe his eyes. His eyes. His gorgeous eyes, they were certainly his best trait. Almost good enough to balance out his hot-headedness. Almost.

Zuko, she thought. She had known there was something special about him since they first locked eyes. He looked so confused, surrounded by all those girls. And she had felt eyes boring into her. It was a fatal mistake when she turned to look at him.

Yellow eyes were a minority in the fire nation. They belonged to mainly firebenders, cold, shrewd, calculating, and empty. She did her best to avoid the gaze of these eyes. But Zuko, his eyes, they weren't yellow, they sparkled with something more. They were golden. Golden eyes that held a special look in them that seemed so familiar.

That was another part she didn't understand. As far back as she could remember, she had never met someone quite like him. Sure, there were the impatient, temperamental boys. But none of them quite matched Zuko. And just as sure as she had been that no one in her life was quite like him, there was an eerie familiarity that she experienced with him. His name slid out of her mouth as if she had said it a million times before.

And he- what was that noise? Amaya turned her head to search for the source. An odd, grunting sound came from behind a tall hedge.

Pushing past the leaves, she found none other than Zuko. He was in a bare patch of land, obviously practicing his firebending. A thin film of sweat glistened on his chest and arms as he spurred into various bending forms.

Her eyes traced over his every movement. Every kick, spin, punch, it was like poetry. The blazing elegant arches that erupted from him. Amaya was too mesmerized in it all to notice that the fire was getting larger and larger with each new move from Zuko. She sat there, flames reflecting in her eyes, as Zuko launched a jump-kick spin that produced a ferocious ball of fire. Watching it get closer, closer, and then a crackling in her ears.

" AAH!" She screamed, throwing her arm up to block the fire.

Zuko's head snapped around.

" What the hell?" He grimaced as he saw her, " Oh, it's you. What're you doing here? Spying on me?"

" I wasn't spying on you," Amaya replied, " I was looking around."

" Looking around? That's got to be the most pathetic excuse I've ever heard. Admit it, you were watching me fire bend." Said Zuko in a pompous voice.

" What is with you? You act like you're so high and mighty and--"

She broke off when he began to stalk towards her, a menacing gleam in his eyes. She was almost frightened. Almost. He towered above her and she looked blankly up at him, waiting for his next move.

" Show me your hand." He demanded. She cocked her head. This was not what she expected.

Amaya thrust her palm up at him. " Happy now?"

" Not that hand."

She stared at him.

" Well, come on, you. Show me the other hand."

She went on staring, not daring to move her right arm. Not moving a muscle at all.

" Can't, can you?" he asked. " I saw where my flames landed. I'm not stupid. Half of your arm's been burned."

" It is not." She protested fiercely. " Go back to training."

" Yes it is," he insisted. " You're in pain right now, I know."

" You're wrong." She gritted her teeth and threw him a glare. One of her hardest. He didn't even blink.

" Give it here."

" Give what?" She asked, bewildered.

" Your arm, give it to me" He commanded.

" Oh, sure, let me just cut it off my body first. Can you go fetch a knife?" She scoffed.

" You know that's not what I meant." He snapped. And with that he grabbed her arm, making her wince in pain.

He turned it over roughly until he found what he was looking for. A large red mark that started from the side of her palm and ended near her elbow.

Zuko held her arm that way as he sat down and rummaged around his pockets. Amaya didn't dare try to free herself from his grasp.

" Hold still." He ordered as he took the cap off a small bottle. He then began to smear a pale wax-like balm over her singed skin.

" What are you doing?" Amaya asked in a soft voice. There was no point in raising her voice anymore, not when he was so very close.

" What do you think? Now stay still or I'll break your damned arm off." He said irritably. But his touch was almost gentle.

" Why are you doing this?" She asked, bewildered.

" You want a scar running down the length of your arm?" He sneered, ripping the sleeve off his shirt.

" No, not really."

" Then I suggest you shut your trap and let me finish." Zuko replied as he began to wrap the wound, checking it every few seconds to make sure it was tight enough.

When he was done he tied a knot at the end of the cloth, securing it tightly. She turned her arm over and looked at his handiwork. She had to admit, he was good. Whatever he had put on her arm had eased the pain of the burn. And he had done a neat and tidy job of bandaging. _He must have done this before._ She thought as she ran her fingers along the silk cloth.

Amaya looked at him while he studied her arm. Then he smirked, obviously proud of what he had accomplished.

" Zuko?" She said suddenly.

" What?" He asked absently, as he twirled the cap back onto the bottle.

" Thank you." Amaya said softly.

Zuko looked up at her sharply, not sure what to say. As soon as he met her eyes, he regretted ever doing so. The look in her eyes startled him, it was so full of sincerity that it almost hurt. He wished she would stop looking at him like that.

He stood up, dusted himself off and extended a hand toward her.

She stared at it.

" Well are you going planning to sleep there tonight?"

She shook her head as a reply, and took the offered hand. He pulled her up, somehow with a little too much force than intended, as if he hadn't expected her to be so light or to come so willingly. He stumbled backward and took her along with him. She slammed against his chest and they both tried to regain balance. And control.

She didn't dare move.

He didn't budge either.

Amaya felt her breath catch in her throat as she stared into his golden eyes. She forced her gaze to turn toward a random pile or grass and brushed her hair out of her face. Then she rolled off, muttering an indistinct apology.

Zuko had a very peculiar look on his face as he got up. The two met eyes again, Amaya's heart pounding wildly. He suddenly turned curtly and began walking away. She heard nothing more from him as he disappeared behind a wall of hedges.

He always seems to be walking away from me, she thought as she picked herself up. She shook her head, trying to clear it of the fog.

She could still feel his heart beating.

* * *

Aw I just wanna thank everyone who reviewed my story during my...ahem..temporary hiatus. I really do appreciate everything you guys have to say ( with the exception of flames). So please keep on reading my story and reviewing. I can only hope that this chapter is good enough to make up for your wait. 


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